Until The Sun Burns Out
by The Gong O Doom
Summary: A "Missing Scene." One complaint from FNL fans is that we never got to see Eric give Matt his blessing/permission to marry Julie. We know they'd get together eventually and talk about it and everyone has their own version but this story is how it actually happened. NO ONE DENIES THIS.


Author's note: **A number of characters make appearances, the usual suspects, and a few surprises. However as this story is set within the strict confines of the universe of the TV show the adorable wheaten terrier tag team of Payton and Jordan Taylor who are in some of my other stories aren't in this one, except in this author's note.**

**As usual only GUSHING LOVE or SASSY LOATHING are acceptable as far as reviews go.**

"I wanna play with my toys!" Gracie shouted as she shook a box labeled **GRACIE'S TOYS 1of 2**. "I wanna watch Nemo."

Julie sighed. "Come on I think your Nemo DVD is in the living room. As she walked out of Gracie's room Julie muttered, "I hope it is," under her breath. Would you like some juice?"

"Yes please."

"Why don't you go over and turn the TV and DVD player on and then sit on the couch and I'll bring you the juice."

"May I have some crackers and cheese?"

"Sure, but I'm gonna cut up the cheese for you, okay?"

"I guess."

"Do you want any cheese melted on the crackers?"

"Ummm, three crackers with melted cheese please."

"Three it is."

As she waited for the cheese to melt Julie walked into the living room and checked the DVD player. Sure enough the _Finding Nemo_ DVD was inside. She smiled recalling how her dad had finally had to give up his beloved VCR and get a DVD player.

_It had been a little over three months ago, Eric had settled in his chair, ready to watch some game tape. He pressed play on the remote and/nothing. He shook his head and pressed play again. Nothing. As he got up and walked to the VCR he grumbled under his breathe. He bent and noticed something smeared on the front. It looked like peanut butter. "What the hell?" He pressed the eject button, but nothing happened, so he pressed it again. Tami came and sat on the couch._

"_What are you doing sugar?"_

"_Trying to figure out what's wrong with the VCR. It won't play or eject and there's peanut butter all over the front of it."_

"_Uh oh."_

"_What do you mean, 'uh oh?' Uh oh what?"_

"_Gracie Belle, would you come in here please?"_

_Gracie came into the living room and stood in front of Tami."_

"_Yes?"_

"_Gracie did you do something to the VCR?"_

"_Like what?"_

"_Well, something that makes it not work. Your dad needs to watch his game tape and the VCR isn't working."_

_Eric poked his finger in the cassette slot. "What the hell?" he withdrew it, then poked two fingers in the slot and pulled. His fingers held a piece of very squished peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He turned to Gracie and Tami holding the piece of sandwich towards Tami and Gracie. "Did you put this in the VCR Gracie Belle?"_

"_No."_

_Eric spluttered. "Wha-what do you mean no. I sure didn't put a sandwich in there and neither did your__ mother."_

"_I put three sandwiches in."_

_Eric's mouth opened, closed, he tried to speak again, then just sat in his chair and ran his free hand through his hair._

_Tami turned her head so neither Gracie or Eric would see her smile then said, "Why did you put the sandwiches in the VCR Gracie?"_

"_I wasn't hungry right then, but I wanted them to be fresh, but not cold. If I wanted them cold they'd be in the fridge."_

"_Okay I can sort of understand that, but have you ever seen me or your dad or Julie putting any food into the VCR?"_

"_No. But I haven't seen you __**not**__ put any food in there either."_

_Eric got up and walked out of the room saying, "I'm goin' to Buddy's to have a beer."_

Julie and Matt had laughed until they could hardly breathe when Tami told them the story a few weeks later, but Julie had acted mildly outraged that Gracie hadn't been punished at all. Tami had said, "Well, like I told your dad, no one ever told Gracie that you shouldn't put food in the VCR. WE did tell her you don't put anything in the DVD player except DVD's."

The microwave's dinging brought Julie back to the present. She took the plate of crackers and cheese out and let it sit on the counter for a minute, then added more crackers and cheese and brought it over to Gracie, along with her glass of juice.

The sliding glass door opened and Tim and Matt came. "Tim, you're not gonna set it on fire."

"C'mon Seven, nothings gonna happen."

"Set what on fire?"

Matt and Tim looked at Julie.

"There's a big wasp nest on the grill out there."

"And you wanted to get rid of it by setting it on fire." Julie rolled her eyes.

Tami and Eric walked into the living room, Eric holding a stack of unmade boxes under one arm.

"Setting what on fire?"

"The wasp nest attached to the grill."

"What? No, no. Tim Riggins. That wasp nest is attached to the grill. Which is attached to the propane tank. Which is next to the side of this house. Which we are trying to sell. And if the fire from the wasp nest happens to heat up the propane tank and it explodes, it's gonna put a big old hole in this house which we are trying to sell, not to mention let all the wasps come inside and sting all of us. So we are **not** going to be setting the wasp nest on fire." Tami glared at Tim. "You're smarter than that Tim. Much smarter. And you know better."

Tim looked sheepish. "Yeah, you're right, you're right. I just thought that the tank might be empty. The grill hasn't been used for a while, that's why the wasps built the nest. Sorry.

"And you," Tami said, looking at Matt. "Were you actually going to let him do this?"

"Well, um, no, I mean, um, no, we were just talking we didn't know if you had any Raid or whatever."

"Of course we do, right Eric?"

"I think we have a can in the garage. Top shelf on the right. Tami's right, you're smarter than that, Tim."

"Sorry. And this isn't on Matt, it's on me."

"A'ight, Matt c'mon with me, I gotta clear out the rest of my stuff from East Dillon and I need another pair of hands."


End file.
